CHAPTER 70: 70. A BAD NEWS

They spent a few hours testing the carriage’s abilities by pushing it faster, driving it over rough ground, and even trying to cross a shallow stream. The car handled everything flawlessly, never losing power or becoming stuck.

Lylia put both hands on the window, and her blonde hair flew around as the carriage sped up. "This is...! This is amazing!"

"I can really feel the wind without someone casting a spell!" Her eyes shone like a kid who had just found a new toy.

At first, Seraphine sat stiffly with her hands neatly folded in her lap. But when the carriage went over a patch of uneven stones, it didn’t even rattle. Her calm demeanor fell apart right away. "Smooth... too smooth."

"This is magic that goes beyond what is normal." Her face lit up, and she let out a small, almost shy laugh. "I really like this."

Elwen leaned forward in her chair. "Can it go even faster?"

She was so excited that she almost vibrated, and every new movement made her elf ears perk up. "This is better than riding a horse!"

Mira laughed for a long time and raised both of her hands. "Hahaha! Mira feels like I’m floating, and Mira already knows how that feels, but this one is better!"

Bork laughed the hardest. "HA HA HA! THIS MACHINE IS A BEAST!"

He hit the side of the carriage like he was congratulating a soldier. "It beats rocks! It beats water!"

"This is a real war chariot!" He raised both arms in victory every time the carriage hit a bump, as if he were going into battle.

"AHHHHHH!!!" Felix yells very loudly. "THIS IS WHAT I WANTED IN MY DREAM LIFE...!!! LET’S FUCKING GOOOOOO!"

Donetta, who didn’t show much emotion, looked calm and almost relaxed as the carriage moved smoothly. "This would change how people travel across the northern marshes," she said softly.

After a particularly impressive drift across wet ground, she said under her breath, "I wonder if they can paint it black."

Greg was happy seeing all of his friends enjoying the vehicle, that’s when he knew the workshop on the road was ready. But Greg’s feeling of success faded as they drove into the village.

The communication crystal around his neck stayed cold and quiet. Marina and the others should have come back by now. It had been almost two months since the expedition left.

...

That night, Seraphine said softly, "We need to talk about the Sunken Citadel." The workshop family had all come to the meeting area, and everyone could feel the tension rising.

"Kael would have called us if they were late but safe," Lylia said, saying what everyone else was thinking. "Something’s not right."

"We should go after them," Bork said right away. "Get in the carriage and go to the dungeon."

Elwen warned, "That’s dangerous."

"We don’t know what we’d be getting into. Before the Crimson Falcons, the Sunken Citadel beat everyone who tried to conquer it."

Felix said, "But we have Sensei’s tools—the same tools that the expedition brought with them."

"And we have the carriage now," Donetta said. "We could get to the dungeon entrance in a few days instead of weeks."

Greg listened to them argue, his mind racing with worries and possibilities. Marina was down there, and she might have been hurt or stuck. He felt sick to his stomach at the thought of her needing help while he was safe in his workshop.

Greg finally said, "We give them three more days."

"We’ll look for them if we haven’t heard anything by then. Put supplies and equipment in the carriage."

"We leave at dawn if we have to."

Everyone agreed and nodded, so the decision was made. For the next three days, they were on edge as they got ready, loading the carriage with everything they might need to rescue someone from a dungeon. Greg made more tools and supplies and worked almost all the time.

But as the third day came to an end and Marina still hadn’t called, Greg’s worst fears started to come true. They would have to chase them. He was just talking to Bork about the last-minute details when Mira suddenly appeared, her golden eyes wide with fear.

"Master-forger-darling! Someone is coming, and they’re hurt!"

Greg ran outside quickly, with the others right behind him. He could see a figure crawling up the road toward Ferndale in the fading light of the evening. They were moving slowly and desperately, leaving a trail of blood behind them.

"Get Lylia’s healing supplies, anyone!" Greg yelled and ran toward the hurt person.

His blood ran cold as he got closer. The person was wearing the ripped-up remains of an adventurer’s guild uniform, which is the same kind that the people on the Sunken Citadel expedition wore.

Greg got to them and carefully flipped them over. It was a young man, probably in his early twenties, and his face was pale from blood loss and covered in dirt. His eyes weren’t focused, but they flickered with recognition when he saw Greg.

"You’re him," the man said in shock. "The blacksmith... Greg Greyson..."

"I... I fucking made it..."

Greg said, "I’m here," trying to keep his voice calm even though he was starting to panic. "What happened to the others!?"

The man wheezed, "Trapped."

"The dungeon changed.... It blocked off the exits... They can’t get out of there..."

"Marina... she gave me her crystal and told me to look for you. You said you’d come."

The young man’s hand weakly moved to his pocket and pulled out a crystal for communication. But it didn’t have the soft glow of an active spell. It was broken, cracked, and barely holding together.

"Is she still alive?" Greg asked quickly.

"Is Marina still alive?!" He repeated.

"Yes..." the man said, and his eyes were getting heavy. "But we don’t have much time left."

"There’s not much food left and not much water. People are dying, and you need to help them! Please!"

The man’s hand went limp, and the broken crystal fell to the ground. Lylia came with supplies to heal the injured adventurer and started right away, but Greg barely noticed.

He held the broken communication crystal in his hand and felt the warmth of Marina’s touch still on it. She had sent someone to look for him and bring him to her.

She needed him. Greg looked up at his family and saw the same determination in their eyes that he felt burning in his chest.

"Get the carriage ready," he said in a cold, focused voice. "We’re leaving tonight."

"I don’t care if we have to drive all night and straight into hell!

"We’re going to the Sunken Citadel, and we’re bringing everyone back!"

"All of them!"

He would have to put off his peaceful life for a while. Greg’s friends needed him, and he was tired of sitting in his workshop while the people he cared about were in pain.

The first trip for the traveling workshop would be to save someone. Greg would burn down the whole dungeon if it meant saving Marina and the others.